Month: May 2011

Hello District Webmasters ( and District incoming Governors if you have spare time on your hands 🙂

Here is my personal opinion and advice regarding issues for branding next year – this is NOT from TI – this is from me. Some of it will be technical, some is tactical, some strategic – hopefully some of it is understandable and useful.

(1) If you are like most Districts, you need to rebrand your District website every year. In that respect, this year is no different.
Instead of rebranding just for an incoming District Governor’s theme, logo, tagline, etc. you will have TI’s recommended website branding specs and files – all available in one place: the Branding Portal available August 17.

(2) Expect to get some help from TI in the form of specs for official brand colors (including html RGB code), and images for logo, text emblem, tag line text and “people photos” you can use and are encouraged to use throughout the District website – again all will be at the TI Branding Portal

(3) Do not panic. You do not have to be using the exact colors, fonts, typography and images on August 17th, TI will not be militant about this!

(4) Even if you are 100% ready and willing to rebrand for the august 17th brand launch, there is an issue of what to do between July 1 and August 17.

(5) I recommend that you start planning now – if you are not already way ahead of me …
For whenever after June 30 you were planning to implement rebranding for the incoming District Governor, which in many cases means *removing* a District theme and logo, make as many quick-hits on your district website that make rebranding less complicated.
Use the existing TI logo and text emblem – as it is today – see and bookmark https://www.toastmasters.org/Members/OfficerResources/Logos.aspx

** Expect that the new TM logo and text emblems will be usable in the same dimensions as the files available at the logo link above.
When August 17 comes, plan to replace your files: logo.jpg, textemblem.jpg and the text of the tagline (what may have been your previous year slogan/theme statement)
I realize it will not be just that simple but that strategy will make rebranding fairly straightforward.

** The branding colors, fonts, typography may not be your personal favorites, but they have been selected as among the best of breed and I personally recommend that your consider migrating to them, if not immediately, then within a year.

************** END OF GEEK ALERT ******

(6) There will also be help from you fellow Toastmasters. For what it’s worth, I will provide what assistance I can to any District webmaster who asks for it regarding preparing for the rebranding launch before August 17 and implementing the new brand on./after August 17th.
I am not the most knowledgeable or talented TM webmaster so you have been warned – but I am at your service. Let’s roll!

(7) Do not panic. You do not have to be using the exact colors, fonts, typography and images on August 17th, TI will not be militant about this!
Yes, I am repeating this one point.